Story Highlights

Each Friday, NBA A-Z guys Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt will take on a topic or topics from around the league to discuss. This week, they field questions about how injuries could affect the lineups in the All-Star Game.

1. If Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard is unable to play in the All-Star Game, who fills his spot on the roster?

Zillgitt: This is a tricky issue for the Lakers, Howard and the NBA. Howard clearly is in pain with an injured right shoulder, but the NBA believes that if a player is playing in games right up until the All-Star break, then he needs to play in the All-Star Game – especially a player voted in as a starter by fans. As rough as it is for the Lakers right now -- they are in serious danger of not making the playoffs -- maybe it's best if they sit Howard against Phoenix and the Los Angeles Clippers next week and keep him out of the All-Star Game.

If that happens, add Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who will already be in Houston for the three-point contest. The West has enough big men with Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan, David Lee and Zach Randolph.

Amick: I'm with Jeff on this one. If Howard can't go -- and I wouldn't blame him for wanting to rest his shoulder and back -- then it should be Curry. He has been a major part of one of the most surprising seasons in recent NBA history, and his production is more than worthy of this kind of acclaim: he's second only to Atlanta's Kyle Korver in three-point percentage (44.9) and is on pace to set career highs in scoring (20.7 points a game) and assists (6.6).

Zillgitt: Noah missed three games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot but returned for Chicago's lopsided 128-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. Noah played 23 minutes, made one of five and scored two points. Plantar fasciitis is a painful and unpredictable condition, and rest and staying off your feet is recommended.

Since Noah is a first-time All-Star, he will want to play. If Noah isn't available, the league could replace him with another Bull – forward Carlos Boozer. But the Bulls already have another All-Star – forward Luol Deng.

But the 27-21 Atlanta Hawks do not have an All-Star this year, and you could go with either forward Josh Smith or center-forward Al Horford.

If Noah isn't available, Horford is the choice.

Amick: Leave it to Jeff to make a decision without considering the needs of others. Here's what you're missing my friend: Since Smith is probably the biggest name currently being bandied about in trade circles leading up to the Feb. 21 deadline, now is the perfect time for rival teams to see how he fits in with new teammates. Thus, he's the All-Star fill-in. Jokes aside, I'd have to go with Horford because of his personal productivity (career-high 16 points a game to go with 9.8 rebounds and one block a game) and collective success (the Hawks are sixth in the East at 27-21, though they've lost three of their last five games).